OUR annual James McCash Scots Poetry Competition was announced on Monday.

Here is another sample from The Smeddum Test, an anthology of 10 years of the best entries to the competition (Kennedy and Boyd, £12.95). Rab Wilson's response to last year's theme, The Pleasures of Hope, draws a contemporary moral from a victory of the Picts and Scots in 832 AD. Crux decussata is the Saltire.

VEESION

Sklentin oot, ower victory's field across

Aethelstan's airmy, routit, bate an brucken,

Nou Oengus minds his wird forenenst the veesion;

Cloods that formt the shape o Andra's cross.

That eemage stounds tae us doun throu the years,

As nou we face agane stairk, vital chyces,

Nou wir nation's fortune aiblins rises?

Daur we hae thon stieve smeddum o his fieres?

Rax forrit, aiblins twa, three mair decades,

An see a Scotland walthy, bien an free!

Siccar in hersel tae bear the gree,

Destiny mappit oot - it's yours tae hae!

An syne thon day wull daw tae cast yer vote,

Yer ain crux decussata, markit 'howp'!